Kranked Bikes’ Santa Cruz V10c gets an Electric Powered E’Go Boost

posted by Zach Overholt - February 18, 2013 - 1pm EST

From the same folks that brought you the awesome series of Kranked freeride movies, comes the latest e-DH bike incarnation, the E-Rides Santa Cruz V10c E’Go. After years of filming some of the greatest riders in the sport, Kranked Cinema set off to reinvent themselves and create their own brand. So far it’s been limited to mostly helmets and soft goods, but with the addition of E-Rides Kranked is stepping into the world of electric assist bicycles with the help of E’Go’s electric bike kits. In order to power the bicycle, E’Go kits essentially bolt onto the down tube of many bikes and offer 1200-2400 watts of controllable power from a brushless electric motor through planetary gearing for maximum torque. Since our last post on the E’gos, they seem to have cleaned up the design quite a bit and no longer require the huge control box at the handlebar.

Kranked has been selling the E’Go kits for awhile, and are now offering complete “Kustom” builds based on the Santa Cruz V10 carbon and Nomad Carbon.

Wonder how much a decked out, electric, carbon DH wonderbike will set you back? Details after the break.

First, the specifics – you might have noticed the drive on the frame looks quite small without any batteries to be seen? That’s because the 10.14lb battery is carried by the rider in an Ergon backpack in order to keep as much weight off of the bike as possible. The weight of the motor is around 7 lbs, which in addition to the rest of the parts needed for the bike works out to about 12.12 lbs added to the bike not counting the 10 pounds on your back. What’s the trade off for a 22lb addition to your total ride weight? About 25 miles of travel at up to 43mph with a design that won’t affect the bike’s suspension or require hubs that aren’t up to the task of extreme riding.

As mentioned, the large box mounted at the front of the bike in our original post has been replaced by a much smaller, grip shift like controller that manages the amount of power output. The system features three different modes of operation with continuous throttle (basically a moped), pedal assist with continuous throttle control, or pedaling without any motor resistance thanks to the crankset mounted freewheel.

Now for the bikes – if you’re building Kustom, carbon bikes the sky is the limit, right? As such, Kranked will be offering an unapologetically rad V10c complete with the option for Enve wheels, Shimano Saint bits, and and various suspension options for $11,494-$13,696. Yes, you could buy some very nice dirt bikes for that but they would be a lot heavier and wouldn’t run on battery power. If that’s too rich for your blood, you can always send your bike to Kranked to have them install an E’Go kit for $3,499 plus $300 for installation, plus shipping.

If you’re wondering, that cord hanging from the seat is the plug for the battery. While riding, it would be removed from the seat and plugged into the included backpack to connect the battery to the motor.

Santa Cruz V10c frame only/complete build options:

DH1, DHX RCK k, 40RC2, EGO, 47.91 lbs, price $11,494

DH1, DHX RCK k, BOXXER WC, EGO, 46.74 lbs, price $11,617

DH1, VIVID R2C, BOXXER WC, ENVE, EGO, 44.96lbs, price $13,696

Frame with custom Ego install and DHX RCK k, price $7000

Frame with custom Ego install and VIVID R2C, price $7100

Kranked will also be electrifying versions of the Santa Cruz Nomad carbon offering lighter but still very capable e-bikes. The highest end, and lightest Kustom build will be the XTR, Enve, Fox equipped model but it won’t come cheap at a staggering $14,203.

While it would be easy to hate on any of these bikes for their price, and the fact that they’re not “real” bikes, I’d be willing to bet money that if you were to ride one you’re pretty much guaranteed to smile. Who knows, it might even become the weapon of choice for Strava Terrorists everywhere.

Will “Motorized Vehicles Prohibited” signs keep these out of the single track? This will be especially important when there are $199 Magna versions available at Wally world.

Bayard - 02/18/13 - 3:45pm

Can this thing do burnouts?

LP - 02/18/13 - 5:59pm

Is there really a market for this?

Sancho - 02/18/13 - 7:20pm

the fat get fatter.

Lance - 02/18/13 - 7:53pm

I have one on a Trek Scratch. That is a bike with a 180 fork and 170 rear suspension all mountain. I pretty much never use it without also pedaling. It is just to make my big suspension as easy to get to the top as my combon XC bike but WAY more fun on the down side. Those of you who are inclined to hate it, do you also hate lift access downhill courses at the ski resorts? In Wisconsisn where I live I only use it as a back up bike. In Utah where my daughter lives I use it a lot. I am concerned about what others think so I ride around other bikes so most people don’t even know, unless it is a long climb. By the way Sancho I weigh 147 and win my class in XC races on my Superfly 100.

alex - 02/18/13 - 8:48pm

Cool. And definitely a motorcycle.

MB - 02/18/13 - 9:50pm

+1 Alex

a - 02/18/13 - 9:51pm

if the motor were on a different bike this might make a cool car alternative. and I guess its better than taking a chairlift to the top and riding down

professore - 02/18/13 - 10:02pm

I assume these would be considered motorized vehicles and won’t be allowed on most mountain bike trails. Motors and trails are a bad combination.

Topmounter - 02/19/13 - 12:03am

Equestrians and hikers won’t know this is an e-bike with a shuttle-monkey on it, they’ll just see more DH-bikes bombing the trails which will give them cause to get all bikes banned.

Discodave - 02/19/13 - 12:44am

motorized dh bikes=closed trails

Ummmm - 02/19/13 - 2:39am

Motors=closed trails=just an reason to do so. Please keep motors off my trails!

Ummmm - 02/19/13 - 2:48am

I guess it’s not enough to just put the dh bike in the back of the truck, drive to the top, then skid all the way down the trail until the trail is so blown out, usually before mid season mind you, that no one can use it. Now we want to allow motorized vehicles on the trail to just piss more people off. Please thank about the future of cycling.

gringo - 02/19/13 - 3:11am

it looks super fun to ride, but i also fear that this will lead to more trail closures.

that would be bad. FYI.

Will - 02/19/13 - 3:35am

And what happens when you crash?

I don’t see these things necessarily being the cause of more trail closures, stupid people will be stupid (and anti-bike people will continue to be anti-bike) regardless of this thing.

Makes way more sense for commuting, IMHO. I rode around on a way less slick (but very functional) e-bike setup on an HT, and I must say I enjoyed it. One on a hybrid would definitely make me re-think a car for commutes I’d ordinarily use it for.

Nash - 02/19/13 - 5:01am

Nice Idea for the physically handicapped to be able to access the sport via assisted pedal power. Able body people however should be ashamed to be using such a thing.

PaulM - 02/19/13 - 5:59am

“the 10.14lb battery is carried by the rider in an Ergon backpack in order to keep as much weight off of the bike as possible”

Surely its better to keep the weight on the frame, to lower the CoG?

I can understand the use for shuttle-less DH runs, but it is going to get dangerous. Someone is bound to to go hurtling along an XC trail on one of these things and cause some serious damage to other riders/walkers/the trail itself.

How can it be managed without a blanket ban on bikes? I’m not sure it can. With that much power, it needs to be classified as a motorized vehicle. Certainly in Britain that would legally prevent it from leaving specified rights of way without permission.

Nanci Drew - 02/19/13 - 9:58am

You have to wire your backpack to the bike…. crash disaster.

Collin - 02/19/13 - 10:50am

Why not just ride a Honda CB450 (or what ever their nomenclature is for their dirt bikes) More travel, stronger brakes, stronger engine, etc.

Bikes are ment to be powered by you. Anything else, and its a motorcycle. I hope all the big downhill MTB places (Telluride, BC Bike, etc) bans these from their trails. At least with bikes on trails, as long its uphill, the speeds are normally just above running pace. With the flying up a trail at 30+MPH, your endagering everyone. Down hill only runs people expect that high of speeds going down. No one expects someone flying up the hill at the same speed on the narrow single track shared by hikers and everyone else.

Hell in the US, anything that goes over 20 something MPH must meet all the requirements of a motorcycle.

LAME!

Topmounter - 02/19/13 - 11:58am

I’m PRETTY SURE they didn’t put a motor on a V10 and Nomad to cater to the “commuter” market.

Bicycle haters will hate bicycles, motor or not.. these ebikes are NOTHING like a gas burning motor, ( 1hp = 750w ) , no fumes, very little noise, a bit heavier but not going to rut up trails…. All those of you who hating and post negative comments, and have never tried one, you have no clue. Show some respect to others and keep an open mind to alternative ways of transportation and fun.. falls in the same category as racism and bullying… don’t hate what you don’t understand !.

Also, reality check, from a whole lot of personal experience, this bike will NOT go up a or mountain or hill at 30 mph…. not even close, it will only climb really steep hills in granny gear, with the rider helping. The battery will only last 30 min max at these power levels. On level ground, pavement with road tires, no wind, light weight rider, in tuck position, and top gear on a fresh charge, it might hit 43mph as claimed.. maybe.

Mick G - 05/19/13 - 7:54am

I’m 57 and have been mountain biking for over ten years now and find it is getting harder to get up those hills and stay in contact with my sons. As I get older I am developing arthritice and my knees are not what they used to be.
So please have a thought for those of us who love to ride but are finding harder as time goes by.
The advent of these bikes are giving us the chance to continue to enjoy the sport of mountain biking and give us a few more years in the saddle before we end up with dementure and cant remember our way home.
When you young fellows get to our age you might not be so again’st elec bikes, come on give us a
go !

Ryan - 06/23/13 - 7:42pm

[Deleted for violation of Bikerumor's commenting rules]

Alan - 09/18/13 - 2:18pm

Electric assisted mountain bikes are great. This call to shut out or ban these bikes is just nonsense. If we all remain calm and stay objective, there should be no problem. I can see just about every off road biker having something like this in the future. Maybe its an ego/vanity thing – now we get to see fat and out of shape folks on our trails – that will spoil the natural beauty – won’t it! (more so than the electric motor thingy eh!!?)

killakambo slice - 10/15/13 - 1:26am

Seen these at the dew tour they are sweet!! enough torque on the motor to get to the top of any downhill track no problem, 15 hours full throttle, and you still got all your gearing!

jr - 10/22/13 - 1:04am

“real men are the engine” says the perfectly healthy person. I had a surgery that ruined my adrenal gland output an destroyed my cardio. i’m only 31. It reduced my cardio threshold by around 80%. I had to quit mountain biking because riding up easy hills was too frustrating and difficult. It was no longer fun.

This gives me a chance to enjoy an awesome sport again. so stop thinking about your macho selves and realize not everyone is like you.

will - 10/14/14 - 7:12pm

can this motor fit on a 1976 Trek Navigator 100 ??…

J - 02/17/15 - 6:15pm

People that call this lame are obviously lucky. And by lucky, I mean healthy. Not everyone is a stud like you. I’m not overweight but have cardiovascular issues due to a surgery I had that destroyed adrenal gland function, lung function, and many other things that make it so I can’t ride anymore. I can’t hit my needed heart rate and push myself anymore, and I’m only 32. This offers some people another chance to get back into a sport, due to injury. As soon as I can, I’ll be riding again with one of these.

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